


Something to Believe in

by Zazi



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Chinese Sirius Black, Desi James Potter, Eventual Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, F/F, F/M, Filipina Mary MacDonald, Gen, M/M, Non-Binary Dorcas Meadowes, Other, Peter and James are cousins, set in the US
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:22:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27278683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zazi/pseuds/Zazi
Summary: James just wanted to get his masters. He didn’t expect to be driven to distraction by the redhead marvel who always seemed to be working out when he was. If it takes his broken nose to break the ice, well, he'll take what he can get.Sirius doesn’t want anything to do with his family but things drilled into you as a child aren’t so easy to forget. He’s trying his best though. It always seems to be easier when Remus is with him.Remus questions his sanity for thinking, even for a second, that a PhD was a good idea. Perhaps it would be worth it if he could at least go home to Sirius.Peter's back doesn’t want to cooperate. He has to give up some nights with the guys but at least while they’re out, he can catch up on the videos Youtube keeps recommending. They really do seem like they can help with his confidence.-Modern au. Trying to process the world we live in and using the Marauders Era characters to do it
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Peter Pettigrew & James Potter, Peter Pettigrew & Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black & Remus Lupin & Peter Pettigrew & James Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 5
Kudos: 9





	Something to Believe in

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lizardcookie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lizardcookie/gifts).



> I'm gonna be honest. I have no idea how this is gonna go. This is largely going to be a slice of life in the sense that I don't really have a clear end point in mind. But I do have a strong outline for quite a bit of it. There's also basically a paired story following the ladies and Dorcas and I haven't settled on whether it'll just be part of this or posted as its own story. I don't really have a set schedule for updates and I'm not going to promise anything especially with the election in 6 days. But! I plan to keep going with this. I already have a ton of gen-y side-stories for this universe that bring me joy so stuff will come!
> 
> Shoutouts to my lovely wife for reading this many times over, helping me brainstorm and always being supportive. Also to lizardcookie because this wouldn't exist without sworn sword (go read that if you haven't) and the conversations spawned from it.
> 
> Ratings are largely for language. The majority of violence is probably in this chapter and it's fairly minimal but there are descriptions of blood so I'd rather be safe than sorry.

She has freckles between her knuckles. James would've laughed if those freckles weren't heading for his face.

He stood transfixed watching Lily's fist inch towards him as if in slow motion. It really was unfair how beautiful she looked. Her face was flushed, green eyes darker than he'd ever seen them, sparking like miniature thunderbolts. The fierceness of her gaze pinned him to the sidewalk. Her punch connected almost dead center, knocking his glasses from his face. The world came rushing back almost as fast the blood spilled down over his mouth and beard. 

"Fuck!" James moaned into his hands. 

Lily blinked in confusion before her bright, green eyes went wide, horror-struck at the bloody mess.

"Oh my God. Shit! I'm sorry! Are you okay? Fuck, of course you're not. Where the fuck is Mary when you need her." 

James tried his best to keep his watering eyes open but the tears only made his vision worse. He vaguely registered Peter's and Sirius' voices  
  
"Fucking catcalling PRICK"

"Shit, Peter! He's had enough!"

He tried squinting. The stabbing pain it caused ended that experiment quickly. A red blur flashed to his right. It took him a second to realize it was Lily.

She moved next to him holding a square-shaped, white, cotton..mouse? 

Lily began pulling at his hands to pry them off of his face. James groaned in pain at the shift in pressure. 

"I know, I know but these will help." The redhead took hold of his chin gently but firmly. 

She has soft hands James thought absently, the feel of them somehow blunting some of the pain.

"Hold still, I don't want to jostle it too much." Lily brought the mouse closer. It seemed much smaller than before. The ridges reminded him of the wooden pegs in his Ikea furniture. 

James hissed and closed his eyes as it was pushed into his right nostril. He opened his right eye, bleary from tears and watched her bring a second cotton peg to his nose. Her brow was furrowed in concentration, lips pursed before snapping at him “Stop moving!” 

James did his best to stay still, if she knew him she’d know he’d done an admirable job really. After Lily had finished, she leaned back wiping her hands on the sides of her denim skirt as she ran her eyes over his face. 

He flashed her a lopsided grin down at her. “How’s it look, doc?”

She grimaced and smiled apologetically “I don’t think your nose got displaced too much.”

James gave her a bright smile before quickly muting it, wincing at the movement of his nose. “It’s alright. It’s been 23 years, ‘bout time he’s gone on a road trip.” 

Lily’s eyes left his face and roamed over the rest of them. She bit her lip anxiously, gaze focused on the many wet drips on the front of his black t-shirt and the gold satin of his hoodie. As he watched her looking over him with concern, he didn’t think he’d ever known anyone whose face was so expressive. James wagered if he could spend the rest of his life discovering all of her expressions, he’d die a happy man.

“It’s going to be a real pain to clean your jacket. I don’t know how much it cost but I’ll do my best to cover it. And your nose, of course!” Lily said, her words coming out in a rush by the end. She took a step back from him and turned her attention to her bag, rummaging hurriedly.

James looked down at the bright red lines staining the gold along the opening of his jacket and shrugged. “I’m thankfully still on my parents’ plan and the jacket was a deal at Comic-Con. It wasn’t expensive at all actually. I’m sure I could get another one easy enough.” 

He looked back up at her and smiled “No harm no foul, really.” 

Lily scoffed and glared at him, nowhere near as effective now that she was blurry. “Yea, clearly no harm. Let me just find my phone and th-”

"Prongs! We pulled Peter off that guy but we need to go. What the fuck happened to you!?" Sirius yelled while pushing Peter in front of him, knocking the smaller man into Lily. 

"I thought he was one of them!" Lily cried.

"I can't see a thing Pads" James tried looking around him but even if he could squint he doubted he'd have been able to find his glasses. 

Sirius looked at the ground frantically, before squatting and snatching something from the sidewalk. "Got them." 

Standing, he turned to Lily as Peter kept muttering angrily next to him. "Can you take James? I-". Sirius lunged in front of Peter as the smaller man turned around to head back to the fray. "We are leaving Pete."

"I don't even know who you all are. I need to find my friends!" Lily snapped at Sirius whirling around to the crowd behind them. 

"Lily, come on!"

The yell had come from up the block, James turned to the sound and saw three human shaped blobs, one jumping and waving.

Lily looked bewildered swinging back around. “You know them?” she yelled back. 

James didn’t hear a response too focused on avoiding getting another smack to the face as Lily gesticulated wildly. Lily frowned, her face nearly as red as her hair. The people she’d been conversing with seemed to be moving further away. Lily closed her eyes and took a deep breath before exhaling forcefully. When she reopened her eyes, James couldn’t help but think of glittering emeralds. She nodded at Sirius. 

Sirius turned to the still grumbling Peter and grabbed him by the shoulders. 

"Yes, yes I saw the other guy Wormtail. Jesus. Get a move on" Sirius said before shoving Peter into motion. 

Lily took a step closer to James. "You really can't see well can you?"

James grimaced before catching himself as his nose flared with pain. "Like a bat". 

Lily sighed and grabbed his hand, muttering to herself "I guess this is my life now. Lily Evans, puncher of men." 

James didn't fully register her words. His brain had instead latched on to the fact that her hand was firmly in his. Her hand was now slightly rough from his dried blood but with her fingers wrapped around his knuckles his nose seemed to throb a little less. 

As Lily pulled him along to keep up with the speed walking Sirius, he couldn't stop the grin blooming across his face. At least now, they finally had something to talk about.  


**Author's Note:**

> I know times are hard for a lot of people. For those able to give and looking for a way to help I'm leaving a couple of links here:
> 
> http://genderedintelligence.co.uk/  
> https://houseoftulip.org/  
> https://www.weallwegotsd.com/
> 
> If you are in the US giving to the many bail funds or mutual aid funds in pretty much any major city is also a great way to help. Things are probably going to get a bit worse before they get better and every little bit can help.


End file.
